Public Service Graduation Honors Class of 2015
The King Hall community gathered on April 24 to celebrate the Class of 2015 with a Public Service Graduation honoring the 98 members of the class who completed the Public Service Law certificate program. The event featured remarks from speakers including Dean Kevin R. Johnson, Jennifer Rodriguez '04, Associate Director for Public Interest & Public Sector Careers Timothy Griffiths, Professor Angela Harris, and Associate Director of the Immigration Law Clinic Holly Cooper, as well as the presentation of public service-related student honors and awards.
"This is an event that makes me proud to be associated with this law school," said Dean Johnson. "No gathering of the King Hall community is more true to the law school's mission than the Public Service Graduation. Year in and year out, Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall turns out students who exemplify Dr. King's character by turning words about public service into concrete action."
Dean Johnson praised the organizers of the event, including Public Service Graduation Committee members Hope Alley '16, Chelsea Bond '17, Victoria Bogdan-Tejeda '17, Aldo Martinez-Gomez '17, Bianca Duenas '16, and Aaron Wilensky '17. He introduced Professor Harris, who talked about "things to stop and remember" on this occasion, including the importance of compassion as a motivator in the fight for justice.
"In our profoundly unequal society, justice requires social change," said Professor Harris, a leading Critical Race Theory scholar and Director of King Hall's Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies. "I think every lawyer, no matter what kind of practice they have, should have a commitment to justice, and every lawyer who is ethical and acts in a manner befitting the profession contributes to justice and the rule of law."
Jennifer Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Youth Law Center, used her keynote speech to talk about her childhood growing up in foster homes and institutions as well her years as a King Hall student, and how these experiences inform her work with children in foster care and in the justice system. She said she felt thankful for the legal education she received at King Hall and for the members of the Class of 2015 who would be joining her in public service law.
"I am incredibly grateful as someone who runs a public service organization to have partners coming out into the field, and whatever it is you choose to work on, whether you're working on the rights of farmworkers or protecting animals or protecting the environment, I am grateful to have your partnership as folks who are fighting the good fight," said Rodriguez.
The event included the presentation of a number of the School of Law's most prestigious awards and fellowships. Mai Sartawi '15 was honored with the Clinical Recognition Award. The King Hall Legal Foundation Hogan Award was present to Sarah Bluestone '17. Laura Flynn '16 and Hope Kwiatkowski '17 were honored with John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowships. Chelsea Bond '17 and Sonja Prins '16 were recognized with UC Human Rights Fellowships, and Kaly Rule '17 was honored with the Bill Smith Memorial LGBT Rights/Disability Rights Public Interest Fellowship.
The event culminated with the presentation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Service Award to Claire White '15, who spoke passionately of her commitment to social justice and called for her classmates' continued involvement with UC Davis School of Law.
The Public Service Graduation was followed by the Class of 2015 Farewell BBQ. About 160 class members, friends and family, faculty, and distinguished alumni attended, including several members of the King Hall Alumni Association Board of Directors and former California State Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg '84, now Chair of the California Government Law & Policy Practice at Greenberg Traurig, who delivered briefs remarks sharing "ten life lessons" with the graduating class. Dean Johnson presented Steinberg with a Distinguished Public Service Award. Members of the Alumni Board also presented awards to two graduating students. Alumni Board President Gage Dungy '03 honored Helen Liu '15 for her commitment to the King Hall Intellectual Property Law Association. Alumni Board Member Alberto Roldan '92 honored Michael Van Derwood '15 for his instrumental role in forming the King Hall Veterans Association.